A Hatred of Mistletoe
by etherealloveliness
Summary: LJ. Lily Evans hates mistletoe and James Potter, even more so when they come hand-in-hand. Christmas fluff! Marauder's era, 7th year.


**A/N:** Hey! So, if you look on my webpage, you'll get a full explanation.

I'm actually really ticked off because I had written this as a Christmas special, but we'd gotten a new Mac yesterday, and all of my files were on an incapacitated computer that hadn't been hooked up yet. Plus, I had written it on Christmas Eve, in anticipation of putting it up then, so it's two days late. Oh, well! :P I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, this isn't mine.

* * *

**Late Afternoon, Fourth-Floor Corridor, December 24, 1977**

Lily Evans hated mistletoe.

No, she thought, I don't just hate it. I abhor it with every fiber in my being. Truth be told, it was nothing more than a useless Muggle tradition that her parents had for some reason felt the need to carry out. The rest of the holiday was fine — steaming mugs of hot cocoa, the trademark scent of pine trees, the shiny wrappers adorning presents. But every December, her father would hang the green plant on a doorway, and she would internally groan at the problems ahead.

In reality, though, it didn't bug her nearly as much as she let on. She hadn't minded giving Mummy and Daddy and Tuney kisses when they got stuck under it. It started irking her when she began her school career at Hogwarts. A whole new world had been opened up to her, and in her glowing, childlike curiosity, she had learned as much as she could cram into her brain.

Never had she expected to come across enchanted mistletoe herself.

Of course, Professor Dumbledore placed it, with great amusement, around the castle. Any two students that happened to be caught under it were stuck. Literally. The mistletoe had been bewitched so that the unsuspecting couple had to kiss to get out, most of the time with a cheering audience. Ever since she had to kiss Julian Leale in first year, Lily had been vigilant of her surroundings each December.

And when she was angry, she tended to forget to be vigilant of her surroundings.

In fact, she had been bickering with James Potter after a trip to Hogsmeade, when she had suddenly found herself unable to move from that point forth. She'd felt a dropping sensation in her stomach. Oh, bugger. Bugger, bugger, _bugger_. Cautiously, she had glanced up, and lo and behold, a mistletoe had caught her and James Potter in its web. Well, she would just have to wait for someone to come and rescue them.

There was no damn way she was kissing _him_.

* * *

**Early Afternoon, Hogsmeade, December 24, 1977**

Carrying new quills and parchment in a bag, Lily walked out of Scrivenshaft's and into the nipping cold. Snowflakes danced in elegant spirals from the silver-streaked sky, following the pull of gravity, and Lily sighed. This morning had been fairly uneventful. Marlene and Alice had gone to Zonko's while Lily went off in search of Christmas presents for them. Really, it had been foolish of her to wait this long, but last weekend she had been distracted with a Potions essay. So now she stood in the quaint, cobblestoned streets with Jack Frost biting her cheeks.

"Oy, Evans!" Stiffening, Lily made haste to get away from that voice. Her flaming hair billowed behind her as she started to swiftly walk away. If there was one thing she didn't need, it was his presence.

"Evans! Blimey, slow down!" Heavy footsteps pounded against stone as they ran towards Lily. James Potter's lips twitched up in a smirk as he fell into a steady rhythm of feet slapping against the pavement. "So, where are you headed? Peter and Sirius went off into Zonko's" — _perfect_, now'd they strike up a conversation with her friends — "and Remus went...well, er, I don't know where he went, probably to the Post Office to write his mum—nice lady, Mrs. Lupin is." His mouth seemed to have lost control of itself, blabbing on and on. Lily didn't say a word.

"...Anyway, Evans, where are you headed?" He ran a gloved hand through his hair. Finally, Lily took the time to look at him. His messy black hair was dotted with snow and his hazel eyes had pooled into a warm blend of colors. Quite frankly, he had gotten attractive this year, and Lily couldn't help noticing, seeing as they were both Head students. No, she chided herself. James Potter was not attractive, nor would he ever be. He was an arrogant sod. That was _all_ he would ever be.

She shook her head to clear her jumbled thoughts. "That's none of your business, Potter," Lily snapped, turning her head to look at anything but him. She insisted on avoiding eye contact.

"Why?"

"Because you're a pillock."

He winced, and she wondered for a moment if she had actually hurt his feelings. Something that felt a lot like regret pierced her heart. "Look, Potter, I...I didn't mean that." She blushed, cherry billowing up from her neck to gather on her cheeks. Her face heated up.

Potter was back to normal, as if the hurt expression clouding his features had never been there. "S'alright, Evans, I know you didn't mean it," he teased, giving her a knowing look. "But honestly, where're you headed? I must escort the Head Girl. After all, we wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her. Then I would have to do Head duties by myself, and that would be bloody awful."

Lily allowed herself to smile. "Well, if you must know, I'm headed off to Honeyduke's. You can come, I s'pose," she offered, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"That would be great."

They walked in comfortable silence after that, ignoring the strange look from students that they received. Because _really_, what were Lily Evans and James Potter doing together? And how were they not jumping at each others' throats by now?

"Lils!" Marlene hugged her friend as she and Potter walked into Honeyduke's. "You'll never guess who we met up with!" The girl's eyes lit up excitedly. "Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew! We met up with them in Zonko's," she added as an afterthought. "It was so much fun — we bought loads of prank items. We bought Hiccough Sweets and Gobstones and Non-Explodable Luminous Balloons and...oh! We bought some Sugar Quills for you, Lily. Then Sirius decided to take us here, and...yeah," she finished somewhat lamely. "They're over looking at Acid Pops now." She pointed to two boys chatting animatedly in a corner.

In many ways, Marlene McKinnon could be likened to Potter. For one, they wouldn't stop talking, usually about the most pointless things. They also liked to argue.

"Marlene," Lily began slowly. She knew the items were prohibited at Hogwarts! Seeing as it was their last year at Hogwarts, Marlene should have known better. "I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to —" Lily didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Marlene covered Lily's mouth with her pale hand. She shook her head, disappointed.

"Yeah, I know, I _know_, no prank items that I bought are allowed at Hogwarts, right? Well, sometimes, Lils, you gotta live a little. Don't let the rules get your knickers in a bunch, 'kay? It's almost Christmas, almost all the students are in their cozy little homes, and the Professors are in a good mood. I'm sure they won't care too much if a Dungbomb is let off in one of the corridors." She winked at a horrified Lily. "Oh, come off it! Just pretend you don't know me," Marlene giggled before smoothing her face out. "But don't worry about it." She vanished into the crowd, not giving Lily a chance to scold her.

She groaned. _Nice, Marlene_. Suddenly, Lily was miffed. Marlene was a rule breaker (always had been) and if she wasn't a female she would be included in the Marauder's circle of friends instantly, she predicted. And that left her more than a little ticked off. Red-faced, Lily slipped subtly out of Honeyduke's.

"Evans," Potter whispered in her air, his breath tickling her. She barely refrained herself from screaming. Merlin, he would be the death of her, she could swear on it. "Why are you out here in the cold by yourself?"

She swallowed thickly, shivering at their close contact. "I'm heading back to the castle."

He beamed. "Me too. Excellent. I'll just accompany you." Lily couldn't get rid of him after that as they braved the almost-blizzard, trekking up to the school. "So, are you looking forward to Christmas? My parents, I think, are sending me a new broom. Well, I _hope_, anyway," he chuckled. James waited for her to respond, but she never did, so the talking ceased as they finished the walk.

Lily exhaled as soon as she was inside. It was cold outside and Lily decided she would go up to her dorm, maybe even get a little homework done in the library, before heading down for supper in the Great Hall. But, as if he was glued to her side, Potter insisted on walking with her to the Common Room.

"Hey Evans?" he asked after a minute. "Why did you leave? You looked furious at someone...I'm just glad I wasn't that unlucky someone this time." He laughed heartily.

She debated whether or not to tell him. Lily knew she could trust him, but she didn't want this unlikely truce to be broken when she told him. What Marlene was doing was the kind of recreation his existence stood for. Oh, bugger. It didn't matter.

"Marlene and I were having a row." His eyebrows rose. "You see, she bought all this prank stuff, and she told me what they were and, um, they were on the list of banned items at Hogwarts." When she saw his face, which clearly said, 'Prude," she crossed her arms across her chest. "Oh, come _on_! I know you're a Marauder, but I'm not! I worked hard for the title I hold now," she huffed, speeding up. "Being called Head Girl is an honor," she called over her shoulder.

"Eh, yeah, I guess."

"You _guess_? You _guess _it's something you should be proud of? You're unbelievable!" Lily shouted. And without watching where she was going, or being wary at all for that matter, she continued walking down the fourth-floor corridor. Only then did she realize she wasn't moving. This was rather troublesome, wasn't it? Something was prodding her brain, urging her to remember a piece of information that was very crucial to her.

Potter walked up to her, just as Lily remembered. She groaned as he became stuck, too.

* * *

**Late Afternoon, Fourth-Floor Corridor, December 24, 1977**

"Enchanted mistletoe," Lily muttered, becoming irritated with herself. How could she have forgotten? And now she had to kiss _him_! In fact, she had been awarded a vial of Felix Felicis a week ago as a prize for the best Sleeping Draught. She _knew_ she should've drunk it before she left. "This day keeps getting better and better," she growled, glaring fiercely at Potter, who had his hands raised in mock surrender. It wasn't his fault, actually, but she was furious and needed someone to take it out on. "This is your fault!" Lily screamed, tangles of red falling in her face.

"N-now wait just a minute!" he blubbered, getting agitated. He cleared his throat. "How exactly is this _my_ fault, Evans? You're the one that walked straight under it. You could've warned me, but no, you decided it would be funny to see what happened! This is _your_ fault!" Potter ground his teeth together and shoved his hands into his cloak pockets. He looked away.

Lily laughed. "This is my fault — right, I forgot! Everything's my fault, hmm? Yeah, I knew it would come to this, because I could _totally_ see the mistletoe. I say it's Dumbledore's fault for putting it up in the first place, but, ha, _no_. It's my fault, remember?" She threw her arms up in exasperation. "I say you stop pointing fingers at people, Potter, because it won't get you far in life," Lily said harshly. The boy was making a fool of her.

"Evans, we can work this out peaceably, or we can bicker until the rest of the student population returns from Hogsmeade. We can wait then, too, and starve to death. The spell won't lift until I kiss you." He simpered, only proving to increase her irritation. It wouldn't be terrible of her to send a few hexes his way, would it? Her firm resolve wavered slightly for a moment. It wouldn't be the end of the world.

"Evans!" Potter was waving his hands in front of her face, trying to catch her attention. Apparently, she had been zoning out. "Bloody hell, Evans, you scared me for a second. Didn't want to be responsible for Petrifying you or somethin'." He blinked. Understanding then discretion shimmered in his hazel orbs. Skepticism was thick in his honeyed tones when he next spoke. "Don't say you were going to curse me? That's not any way for a lady to treat a bloke like myself."

Lily heaved a sigh. "No, I imagine it's not. A girl can dream, though."

"Lily." Shock coursed through her body as she heard him say her name. Potter had lowered his voice to a gentle whisper. "Lily, why exactly are you opposed to the idea of kissing me? You _have_ snogged a guy before, haven't you?"

"'Course I have!" she snapped, blushing. "I have had a number of boyfriends, you know! I just..." Lily found herself tripping over her words. "It's, well, you see, um." This wasn't working. "Ever since fifth year, you have been constantly humiliating me by asking me out. _Every single day_. Merlin, it gets annoying. And I came up with this impression that you were a heartless bully who got his laughs from publicly embarrassing girls." Potter coughed uncomfortably and Lily tugged at her collar, the feeling of being trapped washing over her.

"But then you were named Head Boy this year. At first I thought it would be a catastrophe. For one, you were never a Prefect and you part of the Marauders! I mean, I thought Dumbledore was off his rocker! I was genuinely concerned about how this year would go. No offense, but I was so _sure_ Remus would be Head Boy."

James' mouth twitched, trying to suppress a smile. "You should've seen my mum's face when I got the letter." His eyes clouded over, as if reliving the moment. "She nearly had a heart attack."

Lily continued, as if the disruption hadn't broken the flow of her monologue. "You had changed, I could see that much. And I wasn't sure what to think because who I thought you were and who I know you are — they're two different people. I see a bit of both in you, but the latter outweighs the former. I'm not sure who you are, and that scares me."

He was inching closer, his eyes making Lily uncertain. The gentle thrum of her heart was echoing in her ears. His lips were moving; she couldn't hear anything. Her eyelids fluttered before closing.

Softness. His mouth moved against her, soft and certain, and she forgot who she was and who he was. After some hesitation, she began pressing her lips to his and moving with a sort of tenderness that she didn't know she had. A moan escaped her as he licked her bottom lip. She was floating, floating along some kind of dream...He pressed her up against a wall roughly. His hands glided over her shoulders, ghosting down her sides to rest lightly on the curves of her hips. She cupped his chin in her palms. When he pressed his tongue to her lips, she opened them and let him explore. His hot breath on her face made her knees go weak, and Lily fell into his chest.

"_Oy! What the hell is this?_" Startled, James and Lily broke apart, Lily sheepishly wiping off her lips, James ruffling his hair nervously. Marlene stood in front of them, glaring with a bemused expression. "What do you think you were doing?"

"Marlene," Lily croaked, her voice hoarse from the lack of talking. She flushed. "We...the mistletoe...um..."

"Lils, you were against a wall, snogging. The mistletoe's five feet away. All you had to give James was a peck."

"Well..."

"Whatever. Carry on. Just tell me about it later, m'kay?" Marlene rolled her eyes before beckoning with her finger. From behind a tapestry hanging from the wall, Sirius, Alice, Peter, and Remus snuck out. Lily's mouth dropped open. Faintly, she heard Black hiss, "Alice, you owe me five Galleons. I won't let you forget." They had _bet on this_? Lily wasn't sure whether to be affronted or entertained.

Once the corridor was empty save for the two of them, James breathed, "Lily?"

"Yes?"

He pressed his lips to hers, and she let him.

True, mistletoe was a pesky plant, but Lily had found she didn't mind it quite as much as she had originally thought. In fact, she might have even grown fond of it.

~Fin

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**A/N:** Well? What did you think...good? Bad? Anything would be helpful! Happy holidays!

Oh, and you can be anticipating a New Year's fic, maybe.

~Christiana


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